What are the best hotel recommendations in Manila for visa applicants and how long does visa approval take?

It was 9 working days for me to get approval. I stayed in the Makati area, not very far from the embassy. Plenty of food options.

1. A broad question that surely depends on your budget and what you'd like to do in Manila e.g party, relax, be busy or stay in a quiet area. I'm moving around every few days as it's my first time here and I'm trying to find a comfortable area that suits my vibe as well as experience Manila.

2. I don't believe you have to be close to the embassy but I was called for an interview so I'm glad I stayed in Manila - I had toyed with the idea of exploring Cebu, Palawan etc. while I waited

3. From posts in this group, approvals have varied from 4 days to a few weeks.

4. I was asked to come in for an interview the day after I submitted my application (submitted 18 March, asked for interview 19 March and I went in on 20 March) and asked to bring my mobile banking for verification. In the interview I was asked about how I started my business (I applied under workation with my own enterprise), why I wanted to be in Thailand and then told everything in my application was fine but my funds hadn't been in my account for the mandatory minimum 3 months so my application couldn't progress until I could supply my March statement. They would put my application on hold until I can supply my March statement.

So as soon as I get my March statement, I will submit it and hope for an approval after that. I would suggest staying in Manila and close to the embassy as they can call you in. However, it seems they are reasonable as they just said it's open on these days between these hours and you can just walk in - you don't have to make an appointment. There was no one else in there when I went and I waited almost an hour for the officer to come and see me.

Good luck if this is where you are applying 🍀